[rating=4.50]
2008 may as well be dubbed the year of EELS. Already Mark Oliver Everett (better known as ‘E’), the man behind the "band," has put out two releases – Meet the Eels, Vol. 1, a greatest hits collection and perfect for anyone wishing to know enough about this band to be excited by the opening statement. And Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2007 which the title so nicely describes with the straightforwardness one has come to expect of E. This 2 CD, 50 song (!) collection of non-LP compositions is complemented with a thick booklet of pictures spanning the past 11 years as well as personal notes on each track from E himself. Also included is a bonus DVD highlighting six performances from the group’s set at Lollapalooza 2006. As the title may mislead, there is nothing here that constitutes as useless.
The set kicks off with a live, talk through version of the band’s first hit "Novacaine for the Soul," as E sarcastically notes "When you have a hit song, you’re expected to play it every single day of your life." That segues into an unreleased gem titled "Fucker." In good Eels fashion the song is a slow electric-guitar driven ballad devoid of the animosity the title implies. Other standouts are "Bad News," a live, garage balls-to-the-wall version of Prince’s "If I Was Your Girlfriend" (just one of two Prince covers on the album), the title track which is backed by a 28-piece orchestra, the bluesy, motown inspired "Estranged Friends," recent online-only single "I Want to Protect You," and, well, with 50 tracks the list could go on and on. E has said that some of his best songs sometimes don’t make that final cut for LP’s. This collection not only proves him right but leaves hope there are still some more trinkets lying around waiting to be discovered.
